Giving to Stanford

Message from the Dean

Throughout history, the quality of life has been correlated with the level of education. In the Roman world, my field of academic inquiry, most people were uneducated. Life was short.

A century ago, as higher education expanded, the number of university students worldwide grew to a half million. During this time, the standard of living in the West tripled.

Today education is becoming universal. More than 100 million students around the world are pursuing higher education. Western living standards are 40 times richer than in Roman antiquity and life spans are three times greater.

The leading universities, including Stanford, have been integral to these improvements. I feel privileged to be part of this watershed in human history, serving at a university that is among the very best in the world.

At Stanford’s core lies the School of Humanities and Sciences—H&S—which all undergraduates encounter firsthand during their years on campus. Building on this foundation, Stanford is poised to become the greatest university of the 21st century. Realizing this aspiration will depend in great measure on the support of people who share our belief in the potential of education to change the world, just as it has done since ancient times. We invite you to join us.

Richard P. Saller
Kleinheinz Family Professor of European Studies
Vernon R. & Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean
School of Humanities and Sciences